Hello I am 28 year old males who was diagnosed with costochondritis. I have no history of any medical problems and have all the tests done for heart related problems. I am having anterior chest pain with tenderness to the touch at the jusnction between my ribs and sternum. The pain radiates to my left arm and my left back. My breathing is labored and the nerves in my neck are tingly. My doctor has me on Celebrex and it does help with the inflammation. I have noticed that although most sources say the problems with costochondritis should heal on their own that alot of people suffer from it chronically. Why is surgery to remove the inflammed cartilage never mentioned? What are the complications or restrictions that this type of surgery can cause and will this cure the problem? Thank you

Surgery can not be beneficial because it can not eleminate the cause of polychondritis, but only one region of the inflammatio. Therefore it is very important to serach for the main reason. As i have described before today, chrondritis might be only a symptom of any other disease. Therefore it might be beneficial to look very carefully for other symptoms or pathological changes. Sometimes it is only a symptoms of spondylarthritis, hat might be treated by celebrex like you do it. I would suggest to go the way together with your doctor with celebrex but to visite your doctor regulary or if any other symptoms might be present just to exclude that other reasons are overlooked.

Doctor thanks for the prompt reply. I was talking about basic chondritis brought on by a viral infection which has been cured for over a month. I have no symptoms of polychondritis and my spine is not bothering me at all. I have had all blood tests and x-rays required to check for abnormalities. It is a localized inflammtion in costol cartilage in the center of my ribs above the nipple point in my chest. The inflammation has put pressure on the nerves in my chest so that I feel numbness in my left arm and a burning and tingleness in my back and neck. I have read that if therapy with antiinflammatories and cortosteroids is innefective that surgery to remove the inflammed cartilage would be benefitial and that the condition could get better. Is this true or are there complications from removing this cartilage? Thanks again